I'll Protect You
by Gin'iroAmadare
Summary: Kagome goes over the thoughts of Inu Yasha when he was a child and realizes just how much he means to her. Oneshot.


She was sitting next to him, her green skirt billowing in the wind. No... She was sitting _on _him, in his lap, his long arms stretching comfortably around her waist. Gentle and dangerous, beauty and the beast. To any common villager walking by, it would have no doubt been the strangest sight they had seen all day, but they were not so foolish as to provoke a youkai, even a half one, and his mate. The poor girl had probably been forced to mate the hanyou in the first place, so there was no helping her now... Yet, the two looked so peaceful, leaning against each other in the perfect picture of absolute harmony.

Kagome sighed happily as the male behind her nuzzled her neck affectionately. It... It was amazing, how strong he felt even through the lightest touch of the fabric of her school shirt. That one arm, with his clawed fingers drumming against her stomach, was enough to send shivers down her spine, something that she wasn't sure was supposed to happen. At the same time, she knew his claws were one of the most powerful weapons that he had. They had helped keep him alive when he was a child, alone and abandoned, forced to fend for himself against the forces of youkai, nature, and humans. She couldn't even imagine what it must have been like for him, and truthfully... She wasn't sure she wanted to. It was painful to think about him getting hurt like that. If it had happened to her, she wouldn't have survived...

Feeling tears begin to burn in her eyes, Kagome looked up at the hanyou who was studying her outline intently. "How did you do it, Inu Yasha?"

"Do what?" There was no mistaking the softness in tone that happened whenever they were alone together, forcing the girl to bite her lip against the uncharacteristic kindness. He changed when they were together, and it made her proud to know that he only was like this when they were alone; that he never treated anyone else with the warmth that she had come to recognize was a side of Inu Yasha that he only showed to her. He was always so bitter and sarcastic when they were with the others... She enjoyed these moments, more than she'd ever admit out loud to anyone.

What would have happened if he hadn't managed to live through his childhood? If he had died, during one of the attacks by an angry youkai, been stoned by ignorant villagers... What if he had starved to death? She never would have met him. Never would have seen him pinned to the Goshinboku, never slammed him to the ground with the use of prayer beads... Without him, she never would have met Miroku-sama, Shippo-chan... She wouldn't have met anyone. Sango-chan would have died, and who knew where Kirara would be? None of this would have happened if she hadn't met him... She wouldn't be alive right now. He had protected her so many times that she would surely be dead if he wasn't with her. She wouldn't have fallen in love with the arrogant hanyou, and that... Would have been horrible...

Blinking back tears at the truth of the thoughts, Kagome pulled his hand into her own. "You survived, Inu Yasha... I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't survived..."

Thoroughly confused, the inu youkai assumed the young miko in his arms was talking about the earlier youkai they had faced that day. "Keh. Of course I did. I'll always be around to protect you, Kagome." he scoffed. The look on his face was tender as he leaned down to her, cupping her face with his hand. "That's a promise." he whispered hoarsely. His hand slid down, lightly skimming her skin with his claws and she gasped, the intensity of the moment catching up to her all at once as his head dipped slowly, mouth catching hers in a soft kiss that had her heart hammering harshly in her chest.

"Nothing will ever harm you when I'm around." he breathed into her ear, silver hair fluttering in the night breeze. His arms pulled her closer to him, fitting her back to his chest and allowing his fingers to take up their previous rhythm.

"I know, Inu Yasha." A small, gentle smile formed on Kagome's lips as she admired the scenery around her. Everything looked different from the branches of the Goshinboku. She could see Kaede's hut, a small mound compared to the giant mountains that decorated the backdrop behind it. "And I won't let anything else happen to you, either."

The moon shone brightly, unearthly beams of light shining on the couple as they cuddled with each other. The tree bore witness to it all, whispering its agreement with the movements of its branches to the moons decision that these two, the miko and the hanyou, were fated to be together to the very end.

_The End_

**Japanese Words:**

**_Goshinboku: _**The God Tree

**_Hanyou: _**Half demon

**_Youkai: _**Demon

**_Miko:_** Priestess

_Thanks for reading this! Please review and tell me what you think._

_GiniroAmadare_


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